Driving a National Geographic byway

Highway 84 north of Abiquiu, NM is a National Geographic scenic byway. I personally had no idea that National Geographic designated roads as scenic points of interest. After driving on it, though, I can see why such designations exist. Highway 84 straddles the Carson National Forest as you drive north, towards Colorado and is a lightly traveled road. Wide open spaces and colorful backdrops are probably what caught Georgia O'Keeffe's attention, as she called Abiquiu, NM home for many years. O'Keeffe, the artist, has been recognized as the "Mother of American modernism." She was inspired by the picturesque landscapes and hearty flowers and plants of the area. I hate to admit it, but here too, I had no idea about her history in this elongated valley. By happenstance, we stumbled upon a National Geographic scenic byway and Georgia O'Keeffe's former home, all in the same day. Who would have thought? Goes to show, you never know what the road reveals until you are on it.

Below are images (without captions) from highway 84 as we drove north to southern Colorado.